Amotekun arrests hundreds of cows in Ondo for violating open grazing ban

The Ondo State chapter of the Southwest security outfit, Amotekun has reportedly arrested hundreds of cows in for violating the ban on open grazing.

Topnaija reports that the Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu on Tuesday, August 31 signed the Anti- Open Grazing Bill passed by the State House of Assembly, into law.

He signed the bill following the resolution of the last meeting Southern Governors Forum had in Lagos on July 5, 2021, where southern leaders unanimously adopted September 1, 2021, as the deadline for the signing of the bills in their various states.

The bill was passed on July 2, 2021, as parts of the efforts to finding solutions to issue if insecurity, cattle rearing as well as grazing of livestock in the state.

Photos seen on social media showed how Amotekun operatives allegedly rounded up hundreds of cows hours after the bill on open grazing was passed to law.

Amotekun arrests hundreds of cows in Ondo for violating open grazing ban

Amotekun arrests hundreds of cows in Ondo for violating open grazing ban

Amotekun arrests hundreds of cows in Ondo for violating open grazing ban

President Muhammadu Buhari who prefers the open grazing had directed that 368 grazing sites should be reviewed across 25 states.

Herders under the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore have also said they will not recognise the Southern governors’ anti-grazing laws, describing it as satanic.

“We don’t recognise anti-grazing law. Nobody can do anti-grazing policy in Nigeria where we are constitutionally guaranteed the right of movement and occupation,” Alhassan said, referring to the September 1 deadline set up by the Southern governors to ban the open grazing policy.

“I think that (open grazing) has been overtaken by events where the federal government is reviving the grazing reserves and grazing routes. Ranches are coming up across the states. Any policy that will heat up the polity, I don’t think is desirable for the country now.”